Throughout the media in recent years trends of showing all body types, and more importantly, supporting all body types has been a common theme. There's a lot of back lash to this movement saying if you're obese it shouldn't necessarily be celebrated. However, I think that the most important aspect to a conversation concerning weight and obesity is loving yourself first. If you're not comfortable in your own skin, and if you don't love yourself and support yourself, you're not going to want to change yourself. Living in an online world where so often people get ridiculed for the things they post, it becomes agonizing to post something feeling good about yourself. Regardless of whether or not a person needs to lose weight, they should be able to be confident in where they stand right now. You don't know where they are in their journey, and it's not your place to tell them where they should be.
If a person is constantly living in self-hatred and surrounded by people negatively shaming their body as well, that hole is just going to continue to get deeper and deeper. Instead, supporting someone and surrounding them in positivity will help them climb out of that hole, feel comfortable with their current state so they can confidently find their place to make a change. It's also pointless to be putting people down on social media for what their body looks like unless you're perfectly educated on their health and diet, and live as a poster child for health yourself. Whether or not a person is healthy is a conversation between that person and their doctor, if someone reaches out to you directly for your opinion on their health, that is the only time it's fit for you to give your two cents. I'm not saying that someone living an unhealthy lifestyle shouldn't be aware of what the consequences will be for how they live, but as I said before, they'll find out their consequences from their doctor. You don't need to be commenting on their photos about it. Using positive language to encourage those around you, and to help them reach their goals is much more effective than leaving a negative remark.
This same problem can seen for every body type. People are constantly torn down for being too fat, too skinny, trying too hard, too wide, too lean, you name it. Whereas, when people are showered with positive comments the effect is more wide spread. To get in the mental state to be driven to make a change is a personal journey, regardless of what it is you're trying to change. Help guide the way, don't be an obstacle. There is no space for negativity on the road to a healthy lifestyle. Similarly, there is always room for improvement, so before you tear someone down, think of if it's really your place to talk. If someone you know is struggling, personally support them to a healthy lifestyle, instead of demanding or telling them what you think they need to do. Most importantly, if someone is feeling confident in their own skin, be proud of them, because after all, it is their life, and their decisions.
